Understanding Overdentures

What Is The Procedure For Getting Overdentures?

The treatment process involved in getting overdentures is quite straightforward. Your doctor may advise the extraction of any teeth that are remaining if they are in poor condition or modify them to receive overdentures if they are firm and have uninfected roots.

Most often the patient will have absolutely no teeth in the mouth and so a treatment plan with the number of implants to be placed and the position they will be placed in will be drawn up. An X-ray of the jaws may be ordered to aid in the planning of the implant placement.

The number of implants that are most commonly placed for an overdenture varies from the upper jaw and the lower jaw. Two implants are the minimum that is required in the lower jaw while four implants are the minimum that is required in the upper jaw.

If the patient is wearing older dentures then they can be modified into overdentures themselves, however, if the patient is not wearing dentures or has dentures that are non-salvageable then new dentures should be made prior to implant placement.

The surgery for implant placement is quite routine and done under local anesthesia. The doctor will likely place all the implants in one appointment itself and then leave them to heal inside the bone for three to six months.

The patients can continue to wear dentures during this time although they are lined with a soft material to prevent the transfer of excessive forces to the underlying implants. Once the implants have become properly integrated with the bone, they are fixed with fixtures that allow the overlying dentures to snap on and hold on tight.

There are different dentures with different strengths of attachment and the doctor will choose something that is tight yet comfortable enough for the patient to remove on their own.

READ What Are Flexible Dentures? How Are They Better Than Conventional Dentures?

How Long Do Overdentures Last?

The implants that are supporting the overdenture should last for a minimum of 10 years to be considered a success, however, they frequently last longer and may even last the entire lifespan of the patient.

The dentures themselves though will last for a shorter time than conventional dentures since they are being subjected to much greater forces than under normal conditions. This is also particularly true if the patient has firm natural teeth or a fixed prosthesis in the opposite jaw.

Conclusion

The advantages offered by overdentures are fantastic and can bring great improvement in the quality of life of patients. They should be explored as treatment options by people who are sick and tired of their dentures but cannot afford to go in for a full-mouth implant restoration.

The technique has been around for a long time, however, the reduction in the price of implants and the improvement in their predictability of success has made overdentures more accessible to patients than ever before.